Background: Arab shopkeepers in former Jordanian sector of Jerusalem stages s 24-hour strike yesterday (Saturday). They were protesting against paying taxes to the Israeli authorities.

The shopkeepers claimed a 100 per cent response to the strike call. They also declared they would refuse to pay higher income tax and the new security levy which came into force at the beginning of April.

The commercial sector of the Old City was paralysed by the strike. Only municipal services-transport and street cleaning-were operating. There were no disturbances, and the only sign of watchfulness by the authorities was a single border police jeep patrolling the narrow streets.